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As it turns out they had to do almost
nothing to beat a lacklustre West Ham as James Collins presented
Pogrebnyak with a late Christmas gift.

The Hammers defender looked to play a
simple ball back to goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen and Pogrebnyak stole
in to slot past the Finn and put Reading ahead with just five minutes on
the clock.

Royals' winger Jimmy Kebe was causing
problems down the right flank early on and a 14th minute cut-back almost
found Pogrebnyak but was well cleared.

Two minutes later the same duo combined well on the edge of the area but Kebe's final ball drifted behind for a goal-kick.

West Ham struggled to make an
impression in attack but skipper Kevin Nolan released Matt Taylor just
before the half-hour mark, but his cross was collected by Reading
goalkeeper Adam Federici.

A few tough tackles started flying in
as the first half progressed with Pogrebnyak joining West Ham's Mark
Noble in referee Michael Oliver's notebook for a foul on Winston Reid.

The hosts then gifted West Ham a
half-chance in the final seconds of the first half as they dallied on
the ball outside their own penalty area.

Nolan pounced and found Gary O'Neil, but he appeared to be caught in two minds and his final ball was neither a shot or a cross.

Cool finish: Pavel Pogrebnyak opens the scoring for Reading following a poor back pass by West Ham's James Collins

Dejection: West Ham defender James Collins after his weak backpass gifted Reading's Pogrebnyak the opening goal on five minutes

Pogrebnyak had the ball in the back of
the net again five minutes after the restart but was flagged offside
after latching onto a through ball from Mikele Leigertwood.

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce introduced
Jack Collison in place of the ineffectual Taylor with 54 minutes gone
with the Wales international making only his second appearance since
returning from a career-threatening knee injury.

The 24-year-old almost drew the
visitors level 10 minutes later but his low shot was parried by Federici
with no West Ham player able to tap home the rebound.

Although the Hammers were starting to
finally find their feet in the game they almost fell further behind when
Jem Karacan's thunderous effort was tipped onto the bar by Jaaskelainen
with Kebe firing the rebound into the crowd.

'He hasn't spoilt our result but if you look at the spectacle as a game I think there were an awful lot of fouls and decisions he gave that he didn't need to do,' West Ham boss Sam Allardyce said of official Clattenburg.

'An awful lot of yellow cards he gave nearly spoilt the game and I suppose Mark [Hughes] will be disappointed.

'I know we got fined for seven bookings and he has given 20 fouls against us today in a non-physical contest.

'That is really, from my point of view, disappointing but it hasn't affected our performance or result, but what it did was frustrate everybody.'

HAMMERS HIT WITH YELLOW CARDS – IN ORDER

1 – Mohamed Diame was the first name in the book for a foul on Shaun Wright-Phillips shortly before half-time.

2 – Mark Noble picked up a yellow for a foul on Park Ji-Sung in injury-time at the end of the first half.

First up: Mohamed Diame fouled Shaun Wright-Phillips and picked up a booking

3 – George McCartney was next – after 63 minutes – for a foul on Diakite.

4 – Goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen had his name taken for time wasting – with about 25 minutes still left on the clock.

5 – Striker Carlton Cole complained as he was booked after a foul on Clint Hill….

Looking worried: The card count will have caused concern for West Ham manager Sam Allardyce

6 – and skipper Kevin Nolan was also punished for having a moan at Clattenburg.

7 – James Collins caught the yellow fever when he booted the ball away in frustration as a decision went against the Hammers late on.

8 – James Tomkins tried to waste a bit of time as the clock ran down but he took too long over a free-kick on the halfway line and rounded up the card count for the night.

Marching orders: Samba Diakite (No 2) is sent for an early bath by referee Clattenburg at Loftus Road

QPR chairman Tony Fernandes has backed manager Mark Hughes to 'sort it out' following their dismal start to the season.

The
West Londoners languish bottom of
the Premier League with just two points from six games after Monday's 2-1 home defeat by West Ham.

Under pressure: QPR boss Mark Hughes (right)

Hammer blow: Matt Jarvis heads West Ham into the lead

It's not the return expected by QPR on their big investment in 11 players during the summer after avoiding
relegation on the final day last season.

But Fernandes refused to press the panic after their latest setback and blamed the club's injury crisis for their poor showing.

He tweeted: 'Bad game but I expected it. Need all injured players
back. After West Brom. And get everyone to match fitness. Patientce (sic). Keep calm.

'Mark will sort it out. Look at his record. We would have won if we didn't go
down to 10. I am relxaed (sic) and confident. Let's get all our players back and in
form and fit and then let's see. Think of spurs.

Relaxed: Chairman Tony Fernandes

Te party: Vaz Te scored West Ham's winner

'Keep calm. 6 games does not make a season. I have learnt
from many wise chairman

'We have 5 injuries in the back. That's the problem. You fans
have to realise. It will come. So much quality.

'Don't worry. I'm calm and want to build stability which is what most fans want.
There are many out there who are clueless.'

Hughes is now the bookmakers'
favourite to become the first top-flight manager to leave his post this
season, with former Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp a short-odds potential
replacement.

Asked if he was confident he would be
given time to see the job through, Hughes said: 'I would think so. We
have had a big investment and we're looking to improve this year and we
will.

'It is very, very
early days but until we get positive results on the board then obviously
everything is up for debate and a focus begins to come on the club as a
whole.

'We just need to start winning football matches. If we do that, it goes away.'

The situation looks much brighter for
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce, whose side moved up to seventh with the
victory that came courtesy of Matt Jarvis and Ricardo Vaz Te goals, both
coming in the first half. Adel Taarabt pulled an exquisite goal back
for QPR before Samba Diakite was dismissed for the home side with 15
minutes remaining.

'We've achieved our first Barclays Premier League away win, which is no mean feat for a newly-promoted team,' Allardyce said.

'I think the outstanding qualities we showed today both in our ability
to take the game to the opposition away from home and our ability to
score goals was fantastic to see.

'As the underdogs, having just been promoted, to come to QPR and take
the game to them and dominate that first half was great for me to see.

'If I had to say anything, I was a little bit disappointed we didn't get more than two.

'I was concerned ultimately when they scored their goal we were going to
pay the price for that, but in the end we didn't of course.

'We knew somewhere down the line the game would change with the
substitutes, but we didn't expect [Adel] Taarabt to score a wonderful
goal.

'It was a great, great goal and obviously put their tails up but our
resilience came in. Our defensive qualities came to the forefront as we
have shown for most of the season.

'We eventually saw the game out and I am little disappointed we didn't
finish them off, but absolutely delighted we won the game and deservedly
so.'

Fletcher was a bargain at 12m purrs O'Neill after hotshot's latest strike

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UPDATED:

21:00 GMT, 23 September 2012

No stopping him: Steven Fletcher (left)

Martin O'Neill believes 12million signing Steven Fletcher will prove 'great value for money' after the striker scored his fourth goal in three Barclays Premier League games for Sunderland in the 1-1 draw at West Ham.

Fletcher, 25, is the only player to have found the back of the net for O'Neill’s side in the league this season, in which Sunderland are still unbeaten but have not registered a win since March.

‘It has helped us as he is the only one to score,’ said the Sunderland boss. ‘He has also taken the goals brilliantly. There is an extra part to his game, which we did not have last season.

‘I have never paid more than 12m for a player, (but) I think Fletcher is a quality centre forward and will prove great value for money.

‘(The run without a win) is not a psychological barrier for me. It is not something Steven Fletcher is concerned about as he was not here and may not even know. It is genuinely not a problem.’

Sharp shooter: Fletcher (left) smashes home his goal at Upton Park

Fletcher’s former Wolves team-mate Matt Jarvis impressed on his West Ham home debut as a second-half substitute, keeping the ball in play for Kevin Nolan to score a stoppage-time equaliser. The winger insisted Fletcher will not see his hefty price tag as a burden.

Jarvis said: ‘The price tag is one of those things you can’t walk away from but he has showed his class. That’s why he’s got such a goal-scoring record.

‘We had a great combination together at Wolves and I’m pleased he’s doing well — just not against West Ham.’

One-cap wonder Jarvis eyes England recall… once he wins back Hammers place

PUBLISHED:

10:30 GMT, 19 September 2012

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UPDATED:

10:31 GMT, 19 September 2012

West Ham winger Matt Jarvis is targeting an England recall but knows he must first establish himself in the east Londoners' starting line-up.

The 26-year-old made his international debut against Ghana last year but has yet to add to that single cap – something he hopes will changes after joining the Hammers from Wolves for a club record fee of 10.75million.

Jarvis has so far only made two appearances for Sam Allardyce's side since his summer move due to a thigh injury, but is fit to face Sunderland this weekend at Upton Park.

Out to impress: West Ham's record signing is keen to recapture that form that earned him an England call-up as a Wolves player last year

'You have to play well for your club and play regularly to be called up for your country and that is exactly what I want to do,' he told West Ham TV.

'The squad we have is very strong and everyone is fighting for a place in the starting eleven.

'I am no different and I need to prove myself if I want to be starting week in, week out.

'Unfortunately I picked up a slight thigh injury in training, which has forced me to miss the last couple of weeks, but I am fully recovered now and I am delighted to be back in the squad and back on the pitch.'

Despite Jarvis' absence, West Ham have enjoyed a successful start to life back in the Premier League.

The Hammers have picked up two wins and a draw from their four opening matches, with Saturday's 0-0 at Norwich leaving them eighth in the standings.

One cap wonder: Jarvis represented England last March at Wembley against Ghana

'I think the manager has got exactly what he wanted with us having a good start and hopefully we can keep the run going this weekend,' Jarvis added.

'We had plenty of chances against Norwich and maybe we should have put one of ours away.

'It would have been nice to get the win but it was very hot, which took it out of everyone involved.

'There were a lot of chances for both sides but it didn't fall right for either one. Overall I was just pleased to be involved in the game and happy to be back.'

Manager Sam Allardyce believes new signing Matt Jarvis needs to be given time to settle in before producing his best form for West Ham.

The England winger completed his big-money move from Wolves on Friday and was thrown straight into the side for yesterday's 3-0 Barclays Premier League defeat at Swansea.

There were some bright moments from the 26-year-old and he was only denied a debut goal by a superb reflex save from Michel Vorm from his close-range volley.

But there were also moments of frustration as he attempted to fit into a West Ham game-plan that was ripped to shreds by a combination of defensive lapses and Swansea's offensive prowess.

West Ham's new signing Matt Jarvis showed some glimpses of his ability in Saturday's defeat to Swansea City

There is pressure on Jarvis to deliver given the 10.75million fee paid for him, but Allardyce has little doubt that, given time, he will thrill the club's fans.

'It's about us continuing to supply him with the service he likes,' Allardyce said.

'When you give him that service he is exceptionally talented in the final third.

'I think their full-backs just couldn't stop him crossing the ball when he did that little trick where he drops the shoulder, because he is so good with both feet.

'It's about us giving him the service to show that ability. Unfortunately he faded a bit in the second half but he was very good in the first.

'He tired a bit but he has had such a big week and he will get better and better as he settles in with the players; as he learns to understand them and they learn to understand him.'

Sam Allardyce saw his game plan torn apart by Swansea on Saturday

If it was not the debut Jarvis had wanted, it was truly a day to forget for James Collins.

The Wales defender had a torrid time at the heart of the Hammers' defence, and gifted Swansea's second goal to Michu with a sloppy back-pass.

Wales boss Chris Coleman recently said the 28-year-old's withdrawal from his squad to face Bosnia-Herzegovina was down to a hernia problem.

But Collins has since played in West Ham's opening games of the season, and Allardyce dismissed suggestions he is carrying a problem that may need surgery.

He said: 'He has not got a hernia. He has a slight groin problem, I think.

'There is no need for an operation. He just needs to do his rehab and prevention and he'll be okay.

'We'll probably look to give him a rest [in the Capital One Cup] against Crewe on Tuesday and then look to play him against Fulham. He's okay.'

Allardyce dismissed speculation that James Collins (right) has a hernia problem

In addition to Michu, Angel Rangel and Danny Graham also found the net as Swansea and Michael Laudrup's dream start to the season continued.

The Welsh club appear set to lose Scott Sinclair before the end of the transfer window, but with Wayne Routledge and Nathan Dyer beginning the season in brilliant form it would appear the former Chelsea man may not be greatly missed.

Routledge was little more than a bit-part player under former manager Brendan Rodgers last term, but Laudrup believes the 27-year-old is thriving thanks to his greater involvement.

'Wayne has everything for this position. He has a good pass, he is quick, he has good vision, he turns fast with the ball,' Laudrup said.

'In my way of seeing football, if the wide players remain wide they close down the full-backs. If they are there, there is no space for them, no room, and you also have fewer players in the centre of the pitch to move the ball around, so the wide players are very important for us.'